Empowering the Excluded: Integrating Disadvantaged People into Entrepreneurship

What is it about?

This conceptual article develops a framework for understanding how disadvantaged individuals integrate into entrepreneurship. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, it views this process as embedded in power relations shaping who can enter and succeed in the field. The model suggests newcomers face dual pressures—to conform to dominant norms while challenging them to enable inclusion—and identifies conditions that give disadvantaged actors both the motivation and capability to navigate these competing expectations. For practitioners and policymakers, the framework underscores that promoting inclusive entrepreneurship requires more than providing access to resources or training. It calls for transforming institutional expectations and support systems so that disadvantaged individuals can redefine what it means to be an entrepreneur. Programs that empower participants to develop both field-relevant skills and the confidence to question existing structures can foster genuine social and economic inclusion.

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Photo by Honbike on Unsplash

Photo by Honbike on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This paper advances social entrepreneurship theory by introducing a new way to conceptualize the inclusion of disadvantaged groups. It frames integration as a dynamic, evolving process rather than a simple matter of opportunity access. By outlining theoretical propositions about how individuals adapt to and reshape existing entrepreneurial structures, the article deepens understanding of how inclusion unfolds in practice. As social and economic disparities continue to widen globally, this conceptual lens is especially timely. It offers a way to rethink entrepreneurship not only as a driver of innovation and growth but also as a means of social transformation. The paper’s emphasis on adaptability and inclusion provides valuable guidance for designing initiatives that genuinely broaden participation in entrepreneurial activity.